Photocopying apparatus

ABSTRACT

In a photocopying apparatus having a device for liquid developing a copy and of the type in which the copy is guided over a heating plate while being passed through a sealed chamber, one or more endless belts, preferably of velvet or fur, moved around two rollers are provided to transport the copy and also to urge the copy against the heating plate.

United States Patent [191 Knechtel et a1.

[ PHOTOCOPYING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Wilhelm Knechtel,Rodheim-Bieber;

Gerhard Petersdorf, Pohlheim; Winfried Sandner, Rechtenbach, all

of Germany [73] Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: Mar. 12, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 340,558

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 28, 1972 Germany 2215099[52] US. Cl. 34/95; 219/388; 219/216; 100/93 RP; 432/59; 34/162 [51]Int. Cl. F2611 11/02 [58] Field of Search 432/59, 62, 227, 228; 219/216,469, 388', 34/201-203, 236, 239,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,943,874 1/1934 Moe 34/95 1July 8,1975

2,046,047 6/1936 Watkins 100/93 RP 2,933,825 4/1960 Small 34/1523,071,866 1/1963 Mangus.......................... 34/95 3,374,769 3/1968Carlson 34/237 3,378,430 4/1968 Aizawa 100/93 RP 3,435,751 4/1969Goodman et al. 34/162 3,448,970 6/1969 Kolibas 432/62 3,657,068 4/1972lvanowicz 34/95 3,659,348 5/1972 Frank 34/162 3,668,786 6/1972 Barny34/144 Primary Examiner-John J. Camby Assistant ExaminerHenry C. YuenAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto 5 7ABSTRACT In a photocopying apparatus having a device for liquiddeveloping a copy and of the type in which the copy is guided over aheating plate while being passed through a sealed chamber, one or moreendless belts, preferably of velvet or fur, moved around two rollers areprovided to transport the copy and also to urge the copy against theheating plate.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures IIIIIIrIIIIII/l 1 PHOTOCOPYING APPARATUSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to a photocopying apparatus having a device for developing acopy and of the type in which the copy is guided over a heating platewhile being passed through a sealed chamber (as disclosed in GermanPatent application 2155248.7).

2. Description of the Prior Art The apparatus of the above type isadvantageous in that vapor produced during the drying of a copy does notleak out of the apparatus but rather drops into a condenser. Further,the necessary gasification temper ature is maintained most strictly andensures that sufficient gasification will take place without the dangerof explosion.

In the apparatus (according to German Patent application 215S248.7), thecopy is moved over the heating plate with the aid of a number ofrollers, particularly, rollers cove red with fur or velvet. It has beenfound that since these rollers are rotating even before the copy reachesthem, the heating plate is polished smoothly in the portions thereofwhich are contacted by the fur or velvet hairs of the rollers, but theportions which are not contacted by those hairs are not polished. Thismay cause irregularities in the sliding friction longitudinally of theheating plate with respect to the copy, which may sometimes bedisadvantageous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention toensure that the transport of the copy over the heating plate is effecteduniformly and positively in any case.

According to the present invention, this object may be achieved byproviding one or more endless belts, preferably of velvet or fur, movedaround two rollers to transport a copy and also to urge the copy againstthe heating plate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a light metal plate,preferably a perforated aluminum plate, is loosely mounted between thetwo rollers for pressing the belts moved over the heating plate, tothereby enhance the friction of the belts with respect the the passingcopy and the positiveness of the copy transport.

Advantageously, a plurality of stops may be provided to prevent thelight metal plate from being moved toward one of the rollers by thebelts and also to prevent the light metal plate from being raised whenthe apparatus is inclined.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the heating plate iscurved into a convex shape. In this ap' paratus, the light metal plateloses its role as a pressure plate, because the belts now accommodatethe curvature of the heating plate and cannot help contacting thesurface of this plate of their own accord.

The hairy belts moved around the rollers conveniently seal the inlet andoutlet openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described indetail with respect to preferred embodiments thereof and with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, in cross section, of the drying chamber;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-I| of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a copy 1coming from an unshown developing device passes through an opening 2 inthe direction of arrow 3 and enters a drying chamber 4. A heating plate5 of aluminum forms the lower wall of the drying chamber. The heatingplate 5 is electrically heated in an unshown manner and maintained at aconstant temperature. A plurality of belts 42 is wrapped about rollersand 4!. These belts may advantageously be formed of velvet or fur. Thecopy is transported over the heating plate by the belts 42. The copypasses through an outlet opening I] to leave the drying chamber 4.Between the rollers 40 and 41 there is disposed a light metal plate,preferably a perforated aluminum plate 43, which urges the belts 42against the heating plate 5 by its own weight to thereby ensure positivetransport of the passing copy. The light metal plate 43 is looselymounted in the drying chamber. Stops 44 prevent the light metal platefrom being urged against the roller 40 by the belts. Stops 45 preventthe light metal plate 43 from being displaced laterally. Upper stops 46prevent the plate from being freely moved when the apparatus isinclined.

Vapor produced from the passing copy leaks out through the perforationsin the light metal plate. The vapor passes through a pipe union 13 toreach an unshown condenser device.

In order to obtain a desirable orientation of hairs, the belts of velvetmay be cut obliquely with respect to the edges thereof, as is disclosedin German Patent application 215S248.7. The hairs of the belts also sealthe inlet opening 2 and the outlet opening 11.

Referring to FIG. 3, a heating plate 50 is curved so that the surfacethereof forms a cylindrical surface curved into a convex shape. Withthis construction, the belts 42 between the rollers 40 and 41 follow thecurvature of the heating plate and press the heating plate of their ownaccord.

We claim:

1. In a liquid development type copying machine including a sealedchamber having a plurality of walls through which a copy material havinga developed image thereon is transported for drying said copy material,said sealed chamber including inlet and outlet ports, stationary heatingplate means, and means to transport said copy material from said inletport over said heating plate means to said outlet port, said transportmeans comprising at least a pair of driven rollers and endless beltmeans movably extended around said pair of driven rollers, said endlessbelt means having a fluffy outer surface, the improvement comprisingsaid heating plate means forming one of said walls of said sealedchamber, and said endless belt means sealing the inlet and outlet portsof said sealed chamber, by contacting a portion of said walls, andfurther comprising means to press said endless belt means against astationary surface of said stationary heating plate means, wherein saidcopy material transported through said sealed chamber is uniformlyinterposed between and in uniform contact with each of said fluffysurface and said stationary surface of said heating plate.

4 a predetermined position.

4. A liquid development type copying machine according to claim 1,wherein said heating plate is curved into a convex shape with respect tosaid fluffy surface of said endless belt means.

1. In a liquid development type copying machine including a sealedchamber having a plurality of walls through which a copy material havinga developed image thereon is transported for drying said copy material,said sealed chamber including inlet and outlet ports, stationary heatingplate means, and means to transport said copy material from said inletport over said heating plate means to said outlet port, said transportmeans comprising at least a pair of driven rollers and endless beltmeans movably extended around said pair of driven rollers, said endlessbelt means having a fluffy outer surface, the improvement comprisingsaid heating plate means forming one of said walls of said sealedchamber, and said endless belt means sealing the inlet and outlet portsof said sealed chamber, by contacting a portion of said walls, andfurther comprising means to press said endless belt means against astationary surface of said stationary heating plate means, wherein saidcopy material transported through said sealed chamber is uniformlyinterposed between and in uniform contact with each of said fluffysurface and said stationary surface of said heating plate.
 2. A liquiddevelopment type copying machine according to claim 1, wherein saidpressing means is a perforated member of light weight metal.
 3. A liquiddevelopment type copying machine according to claim 1, wherein saidpressing means imparts pressing force by its own weight, and furthercomprising stop means tO maintain said pressing means at a predeterminedposition.
 4. A liquid development type copying machine according toclaim 1, wherein said heating plate is curved into a convex shape withrespect to said fluffy surface of said endless belt means.